adventures of imaginary creatures by Finnish author Tove Jansson...

actually written in Swedish, the title is Det osynliga barnet och andra berättelser,

which translates precisely to: “The Invisible Child and other stories.”

It includes vivid characters like Moomintroll and Moominmomma;

Sniff and Snufkin (the Vagabond), Little My, Snork Maiden, and Snork.

This book was magic to me... read in pictures not words initially, as it was seen first as a toddler, in the form of an illustrated Polish translation which father then read aloud to me and my older sister... and which we listened to (with the thrill of a mental black box theater) as an amazing audio tape repleat with dramatized actors voices and perfect sound effects... It inspired us to tape some stuff of our own in later days...

I did not actually read the book (in English translation) until I was in my twenties. I read it one dark, cold, dramatic winter, wearing cut off gloves with open tip fingers, and clinging to very hot spiked tea... and it rekindled all the magic of the first readngs. Very heart warming.

I’ve no idea if it really inspires my writing at the moment or not, but indirectly, I suppose it must be a sort of ferment in the subconscious. Otherwise... early books would be Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland... also read first as illustrations and Polish translations heard aloud. Incidentally, father never stopped reading out loud to me... I absolutely loved it and we read many books that way together... fiction and nonfiction.

#FirstBook #WritingPrecurors #Challenge

I've liked to read as long as I remember. And with it came the pleasure of writing. I remember being just about six and enjoying a school assignment to write a legend about an animal. I chose to explain why frogs jump -something about them having to cross a road of burning coal for some reason. Another assignment was to narrate one of these pictures only storybooks. I liked doing that so much that I went to my neighborhood library and find some other books to write about. I had multiple other experiences like these over the years. It started so early that I don't know if it was just because of a single book. I just remember writing since I learned how and loving the feeling it gives me every time.

But when I read the rules of this challenge, a book did come to my mind. A series of books actually, that I started to read when I was twelve and read a couple of times more since then. These books have been written by Pierre Bottero, a French author that unfortunately died a few years ago, at only forty-five. The first book of the series is titled La quête d'Ewilan, which simply translates to Ewilan's quest. In all appearances, it is a classic example of a fantasy novel for teens -which I was at the time I read it so that makes sense. But for me, it's so much more and it allowed me to escape when things were not bright in the real life.

Let me tell you a bit more about the plot: Camille, thirteen years old, single adopted child of strict and not so loving parents, find school boring and too easy. She never feels quite in her element anywhere. One of the only good thing in her life is her best friend Salim, that can always make her laugh. One day, to avoid being run over by a truck she instinctively crosses to and comes back from a parallel universe. Later she will willingly go back into this parallel wold accompanied by Salim.

In this world called Gwendalavir, there's magic! With magic everything is possible. Magic has a name. It's called Imagination. So... if with imagination everything is possible, a writer has infinite power no?

This series of book is filled with adventures, friendships, love, magic, humor, weird creatures and so much more. Page after page, you discover something new, someone new... A Ts'liche, a half lizard half mantis deadly beast. A great warrior like Edwin. A funny and loyal knight like Bjorn. The sensitive Artis from the Dreamers guild (la confrérie des Rêveurs). And my favorite, Ellana, a Shadowalker (Marchombre).

A thing I found poetic is that Camille uses Imagination to literally jump into another world where everything is possible. I feel as if I'm doing the same thing when I'm writing.

So even though I was writing before reading this book, this was the first book that made me think that I could be a writer. I greatly recommend everyone to read this series no matter if you're a kid or an adult. The only thing is that I don't think the books have been translated into other languages, so you better start learning French :)

George Orwell's mastery of language and oppositional ideas captivated me even when I was younger and had to run to the dictionary to decipher the text. In reading 1984, I began to understand that stories weren't required to solve their complexities. When O'Brien tortures Winston, forcing him to believe that 2+2 = 5, the whole story implodes on itself. Winston's plight for a revolution crumbles. The book ends where it begins. It was the first time I realized how influential an author could be, that with decisive prose and passion you can lead readers to invest in characters and plot, build trust, and still have no obligation to deliver the desired outcome. I discovered that an author's commitment is to the story and the truth of the story, not to its happy ending.

@Danceinsilence fantastic writing challenge. I enjoyed rediscovering this book through your prompt.

Larry Niven is a genius. I don’t write much sci-fi anymore, but i think this novel made me think about writing. To be honest, writing in school was just boring. My teacher had the best intentions, but you don’t see that when you’re a shitty teenager. Anyway i read a lot of things before, like Dune, or Ringworld, or the foundation. Also read the classics, just as long as it was not curriculum-related. But this baby started me going.

The book is about this nebula of gas and rocks that is suspended in space, though the gas maintains enough pressure to live in. The people that live there are decendants of castaways from a spsceship. They adapted wildly to this strange new existence, mainly by inhabiting giant integral-shaped trees that float around. Just couldn’t stop thinking about that for a while. It led me to try my hand at writing. Plus, there was a girl that was into literature..

There is a sequel , but not as cool.

The Genius Files by Dan Gutman. The story is about two normal kids named Coke and Pepsi who are become part of an organization called the "Genius Files." This man that created this organization turns bad and kills all the kids in the organization because they won't listen to him. He's killed everyone else and is now trying to get to Coke and Pepsi is tons of ways. The whole time, Coke and Pepsi are traveling across the US with their parents to go to their Aunt's wedding. When they arrive at the wedding, they find out that their archnemesis, Dr. Warsaw, was soon to be their Uncle.

This book was a real inspiration to me during the time I read it. It really sparked the imagination inside me to flow even more. Thanks, Dan Gutman!

She was what I had wanted in a character. Strength, subbornness, morals, selflessness. Katniss was giving me hope that there was more to YA novels than romance. Then, like a bad joke, it was ruined. She was suddenly the pawn in a love triangle, staging a government revolt, and eventually was responsible for repopulating the fallen Panem. What? I mean, there were good parts like Finnick but why do all adults think their 16 year old character has to save the damn world or fall in love? Were teenagers not suffocating in depression, having false crushes, coming to terms that everything is not a Disney movie, and switching schools in the Stone Age? It was that single book, that has inspired four movies and helped boost Jennifer Lawrence to B-List celebrity level, that inspired nine year old me to write and make YA novels mor young adult and less movie like. Of course there were books that were good that I liked. Dahl, Poe, the Brothers Grimm, the list goes on. But I still remember Katniss and aim to make novels more accurate thanks to her.